Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1887-12-14

pOsite direction and should have q tendency TO
divorce. as much and as fast as can safely be
done. the Treasury Department from private
enterprise.
o. course IL is not expected that unnecessary
and extravagant appropriations will be made for
the purpose OF avoiding the accumulation Of an
I excess OF revenue. Such expenditure. besides
the decentralization OF all just conceptions Of
public duty which II entails, stimulates a habit
{ OF reckless inprOvidcnce not in the least con
sisteut with the mission OF our people or the
high and benehcent ideas OF our Government.
have decmedit my duty 10 thus bring 10 the
knowledge Of my countrynen as we'll as TO the
attention Of their representatives charged with
the responsibility OF legislative relief the gray
ity OF our financial situation. The failure of
Congress heretofore 20 provide against the
dangers which il was quite evident the very
nature Of the difficulty must necessarily pro-
duce, caused n condition Of financial distress
and apprehension since your last adjournment
which taxed 10 the utmost all the authority
and cEpcIe1ts within executive control; and
these appear now TO be exhausted.
IL disaster results from the continued mac
ton Of Congress, the responsibility must rest
where it belongs.
Though the situation thus far considered is
frausht with danger which should be fully real
lied, and though il presents a feature OF wrong
10 the people rs well as peril TO the country, it
! is but result growing out OF perfect and APP
| parent cause constantly reproducing the same
alarming circUmstanccs-a congested National
treasury and depleted monetary condition in
the business OF the country. II need hardly be
stated that while the present situation demands
remedy we can only be saved from like pre-
| dicament In the future by the removal OF its
/ cause.
! Our scheme Of taxation. by means OF which
/ this needless surplus Is taken from the people
and put into the public treasury, consists OF a
/ tarin or duty levied upon importations from
abroad and internal revenue taxes levied upon
| the consumption OF tobacco and spirituous and
malt liquors. II must be conceded that none
| OF the things subjected 10 internal revenue tax
/ alton are, strictly speaking. nccessaries. There
appears 10 be no just complaint Of this taxation
/ by the consumers OF these articles, and there
/ seems TO be nothing well able 10 bear the
burden without hardship to any portion OF the
! people
| But our present tariff laws, the vicious, in
| equitable and illogical source Of unnecessary
| taxation, ought to be at once revised and
/ amended. These laws as their primary and
/ plain effort raise the price TO consumers of all
| articles imported and subject TO duty by pre-
/ cisely the sum paid for such duties. Thus the
/ amount Of the duties measures the tax paid by
those who purchase for use these imported
articles.
Many OF these things. however, are raised or
manufactured in our own country, and the du-
/ ties now levied upon foreign goods and products
/ are called protection to these home manufac-
/ lures, because they render it possible for those
| OF our people who are manufacturers TO make
| these taxed articles and sell them for price
| equal to that demanded for the imported goods
that have paid customs duty. So IL happens
that while comparatively few use the import
ed articles, millions Of our people, who never
use and never any OF the foreign products,
! purchase ana use things of the same kind made
| in this country and pay therefor nearly or quite
the same enhanced price which the duty adds
/ 10 the imported articles.
Those who buy imports pay the duty charged
thereon into the public treasury. but the great
/ majority OF our citizens who buy domestic ar
/ ucles OF the same class, pay sum az least ap-
/ proximately equal 10 this duty to the home
/ manufacturer. This reference 10 the operation
| Of our tariff laws is not made By way Of instruc-
! ton. but in order that We may be constantly
reminded Of the manner in which they impose a
/ burden upon those who consume domestic prod
/ ucts as well a. those who consume imported
articles. and thus create a tax upon all our
/ people.
1t is not proposed 10 entirely relieve the coun-
/ try Of this taxation. II must be extensively
| continue - the source OF the Governments
! income sud In a REIMBURSEMENT OF our tariff the
/ interests OF American labor engaged in manu-
| faciure should he carefully considered. as weu
/ as the preservation Of our manufacturers. It
! may be called protection, or by any other name
/ but relief from the hardsbips and dangers Of
! our present tariff law should be devised with
/ esIscial precaution against irnperiling the ex-
! istcnce Of our manufacturing interests. But
/ this existence should not mean u condition
! which, without regard to the public welfare or
| National exigency. must always insure the
/ realization OF immense profits instead OF mode
| rGtely profitable returns.
As the volume and diversity OF our National
activities Increase. new recruits are added TO
| those who desire 4 continuance of the advan-
! tagcs which they conceive the presentsystem Of
tariff taxation directly effects So stubboruly
have all efforts TO reduce the present condition
! been resisted by those OF our fellow citizens
! thus engaged. that they can hardly complain of
! the suspicion, entertained TO a certain extent.
that there existed an organized combination all
] along the line 10 maintain their advantage.
! We are in the middle or centennial ceebra-
/ tons, and with becoming pride we rejoice in
/ American skill and ingenuity, in American en-
/ ergy and enterprise. and ia the wonderful
natural advantages and resources developed by
! n century's National growth. Yet when an at
/ tempt is made to justify q scheme which per-
/ mits a TAX to be laid upon every consumer in the
! land for the benefit OF our manufacturers quite
! beyond reasonable demand for Government
regard, il suits the purposes OF advocacy TO call
! our manufactures infant industries, stin need
/ ing the highest degree OF favor and fostering
care that can be wrung from Federal legisla-
! ton
! II is also said that the increase in the price
/ OF domestic manufactures resulting from the
! present tariff IS necessary in order that higher
I
] ployed in manufactures than are paid for what
/ IS called the paupcr labor Of Europe. All will
| acknowledge the force of an argument which
| involves the welfare and liberal compensation
| of our worlSingmen. Labor is honorable in the
eyes Of every American citizen; and as IL lies
NJ the foundation OF our development
and progress, 1t is entitled. without
/ a1ectatiOn or hypocrisy, to the ut.
/ most regard. The standard of our laborers
/ life should not be measured by that OF any otter
q -
/ their full share Of our advantages.
BY the last census it is made to appear that
OF the l1,s9s,C99 Of our population is engaged in
/ all kinds or industries. 7,610.493 are employed
I In agriculture, i,Usi2SS in professional and
/ personal service, (2g4S13 of whom are do
/ mestic servants and laborers) while 1slO256
i are employed ~ trade and transportation, and
/ SS31, liz are eiassed as employed in lnanutac-
turing and mining
For present purposes, however the last num-
per gwen should be considerably reduced.
/ without attempting 10 enumerate all. il will be
conceded that there should be deducted from
those which it includes, 355. I43 carpenters and
! 1oiners, 2S5,401 milliners. dressmakers and
seamstres~es. 172,925 blacksmiths, 1896 tail
ors ana taiioresses, lOs.4s3 masons. 1924 butch
ers. 4l,3J9 bakers. 23,0Ss plasterers ASA en-
Z gagged in manufacturing agricultural i1nnle.
{ mems, amounting in the aggregate to Ina.
0sS, leaving 2.6s30ss psrssns enpioyed in
such manufacturing industries as are claimed TO
De penented by a high tarin. To these the an
peal Is made 10 save their employment and
maintain their wages by resisting change
ihere should be no disposition 70 answer such
suggestions BY the allegation that they are N a
minority among those who labor, aud there
fore should forego advantage in the in
terest Of low prices for the majority. Their
compensation, as Il may be affected by the
operation OF tariff laws, should al all times be
seEspvdoasiy Kept liz view; and vet with slight
rejection they VIII not overlook Ia , face that
they are consumers with the rest: that thew
too, have their own wants and those OF their
families TO supply from their earnings. and that
me prices OF the neeesssries Of life rs wei a.
the amount Of their wages. viii regulate tae
measure OF their @eifare and comfort
But the reduction OF tazs1icn demanded
Should be measured as not TO ne. essitate or
justify either the loss OF employment by tha
WorEingman or the lesseling OF his wares; and
the profits stiu remaining 70 the raanafaeti,- tr